Edmonson County Youth Leadership Group Attends Fiscal Court

Edmonson County Youth Leadership with Edmonson County Fiscal Court.

Madison Doyle, story and photo:
Edmonson County Fiscal Court met today, March 28, 2022, in the upstairs courtroom of the Edmonson County courthouse. The EC Youth Leadership group was in attendance today to learn more about how Edmonson County government worked.

EC Youth Leadership Sponsor Jami Booker thanked the court for allowing youth leadership to attend and the students from Edmonson County High School were recognized at the meeting. Each magistrate, with the exception of Corey VanMeter who was absent, introduced themselves and shared each community they respectively represented.

Multiple county offices spoke today and gave reports on their departments.

Sheriff Shane Doyle reported that he is currently working with Edmonson County Schools Transportation Director Lannie Deweese to come up with a solution for better traffic control for school buses in the Chalybeate area of HWY 101 and 743, specifically in the mornings. The Sheriff said that buses are arriving late to Brownsville due to crowded traffic in the mornings that are hindering the buses from turning onto HWY 101 from HWY 743. Sheriff Doyle said they should be able to provide help for buses very soon, which would likely include brief control for HWY 101 drivers that would allow all buses to pull out at the same time. It would only be a few minute delay for 101 drivers but would free up all the buses at once.

County Clerk Kevin Alexander said he was notified that the new voting machines will be here either this week or early next week, and will work on state rebates that are available to the county - which will bring in about $2,500 per district. Alexander said he was told that the machines would not be here anytime soon but that recently changed and voters will be able to use them in time for the primary election in May.

Alexander also said that you can call or request online for a mail-in ballot starting this Saturday. He also stated that all in-person voting will be available at all districts. This runs for about one month, then early voting will be on the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before the election, times to be announced, but tentatively 8am-4pm. Also excused voting options will be available with details to come. Judge Executive Will Cannon asked Alexander if there would be enough available poll workers, and he said there are enough but the county will have to pay poll workers for the extra voting days. Alexander also advocated for in-person voting.  “I really believe people want to vote in their polling places," he said. "I want to, it’s the American thing to do.”

Edmonson County Tourism Director Vanessa Ulm stated that Governor Andy Beshear had recently awarded $5.3M in funding for tourism in 88 different counties. Each region can expect to receive around $680K, and Edmonson County is located in the Caves, Lakes, and Corvette Region.

The court also voted to:

• Approve Resolution EC22-14, Barren River Regional Multi-Jurisdictional Multi-Hazard Plan Adoption.
• Acknowledge Arbor Day Proclamation.
• Approve BGWC December 2021 Shelter Directors Report.
• Approve FY23 Jail Budget.
• Approve Southern Kentucky Communications, LLC Proposal 22-07A purchase for Road Dept. This was by request of Road Supervisor Greg Carroll, who said the department's communication radios were outdated and in need or replacement. A bid from SOKY Communications was received for the new radio system in the amount of $18,000.
• Approve March Cash Transfers.
• Acknowledge Edmonson County Conservation District FY23 Annual Plan of Operation.
• Acknowledge Edmonson County Conservation District FY23 Budget.
• Acknowledge Big Reedy Watershed FY23 Budget.
• Approve purchase of granite bench for Wiley Willis Veterans Courtyard. This was to replace a metal bench in the courtyard that had rusted.